Outdoor Industry Eco Index Pilot Program Officially Launched

September 20, 2010 06:42 PM Eastern Daylight Time

BOULDER, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The outdoor recreation industry has developed an environmental
assessment tool, the Eco
Index, to provide brands and retailers of apparel, footwear and gear
a way to benchmark and measure the footprint of their products.

In development since 2007 by the Outdoor Industry Association Eco
Working Group, a volunteer industry committee of more than 100 outdoor
companies, the Eco Index encompasses guidelines, performance indicators,
footprint metrics and a comparative scoring system against a six-stage
lifecycle approach.

The stakeholder review period for the Eco Index is now underway,
providing companies with the opportunity to pilot test the current “Beta
Phase 1” version of the tool and provide feedback toward the formal
version scheduled for release in early 2011. Over 80 companies from
around the world are currently signed up to participate in the Eco Index
pilot program, and more are welcomed.

“The Eco Index was designed to be applicable to all apparel, footwear
and gear products and to be used within companies of all sizes,” said
Beth Jensen, Corporate Responsibility Manager for OIA. “We are looking
to the pilot program for critical feedback on the success of this
approach.”

In addition to the pilot program, the stakeholder engagement period will
also include a third-party review of the Index conducted by a group of
environmental advocacy organizations, investors, and the academic
community.

If your company is interested in participating in the Eco Index Pilot
Program, please e-mail Beth
Jensen at OIA with contact name, email address, company name and the
types of the product(s) you intend to pilot.

Outdoor Industry Association® (OIA) is a national trade association
whose mission is to ensure the growth and success of the outdoor
industry. Over 4,000 manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, and
retailers of outdoor recreation equipment and services, as well as other
related business entities, comprise OIA's membership. For more
information, go to www.outdoorindustry.org
or call 303-444-3353.